The Eleven Greatest Players On the Planet

Forwards

Lionel Messi

Argentina (Club team: Barcelona)

The best player in the world looks like a young Roman Polanski. "You need a machine gun to stop him," former Barcelona star Hristo Stoichkov said about Messi, who scored four goals against Arsenal in April.

Forwards

Didier Drogba

Ivory Coast (Club team: Chelsea)

Big, strong, and fast. Nicknamed Tito by his own mother, in admiration for the Yugoslav strongman.

Midfielders

Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal (Club team: Real Madrid)

The only player with half a claim to Messi's throne is also an unrepentant whiner who collapses to the ground after any contact.

Midfielders

Andrés Iniesta

Spain (Club team: Barcelona)

The leader of a stacked Spanish mideld. His nickname says it all: El Ilusionista.

Midfielders

Kaká

Brazil (Club team: Real Madrid)

The one player guaranteed to get laughs from American toddlers is a devout evangelical Christian who has been known to wear an i belong to jesus T-shirt under his jersey.

Midfielders

Xavi

Spain (Club team: Barcelona)

The Steve Nash of soccer.

Defenders

Dani Alves

Brazil (Club team: Barcelona)

Alves's $45 million transfer to Barcelona in 2008 made him the world's most expensive defender.

Defenders

Nemanja Vidic

Serbia (Club team: Manchester United)

This son of a copper worker is a brutish enforcer with a look (bulging muscles, shaved head) to match.

Defenders

Maicon

Brazil (Club team: Inter Milan)

The rare Brazilian "defender" who'd actually rather defend than score.

Defenders

**John Terry **

England (Club team: Chelsea)

A virtuosic thug on and off the pitch.

Goalkeeper

Iker Casillas

Spain (Club team: Real Madrid)

Spain's faux-hawked netminder is so good that he has a virtual contract for life with Real Madrid, which recruited him to its junior program when he was just 9 years old.

The best player in the world looks like a young Roman Polanski. "You need a machine gun to stop him," former Barcelona star Hristo Stoichkov said about Messi, who scored four goals against Arsenal in April.